1. Research Design Proposal Template 1
Research Design Proposal
10th Honors World Literature/Composition
Lester and Hamilton
Spring 2012
Introduction
A “research design” jump-starts your paper and gets you thinking about your topic in a concentrated
way. Your pre-search work of the last few days should inform the content that will go into this proposal.
The research design must be typed and may be single-spaced or double-spaced using the
electronic template we will provide you.
The proposal must be typed in Google Docs so that you can share it electronically with Ms.
Hamilton. If you are working with a partner, you should also share with your partner (or anyone
that might be helping you peer edit)..
Structure of the Proposal
Research Paper Topic
Describe your research topic in 2-3 sentences.
What I Know about the Topic at This Point and Why We’re Interested in This Topic
Complete a paragraph of 6-10 sentences explaining what you’ve learned at this point through your pre-
search about your topic and why you are interested in this topic.
What We Want To Learn
In a paragraph of 5-8 sentences, briefly describe what you hope to learn through your research.
Our Initial List of Questions We Have About Our Topic
You should identify at least 10-12 questions you have generated as a result of your pre-search; you
should use questions you’ve identified on your pre-search graphic organizer; you may also add
additional questions that you want to explore that have come from your reading but may not have
made it onto the graphic organizer. Please create your list of questions as a numbered list.
Our Three Primary Research Questions
You may number or bullet your three major research questions. These should be “how”, “what,” and
“why” questions that go beyond answering with basic facts.
Examples:
Topic: Is a college degree still valuable in the 21st century
Big Question Example 1: Why is college tuition on the rise?
Big Question Example 2: How is the economic crisis impacting choices students are making in course
and degree major selection?
Example research proposal from Tom Romano http://www.users.muohio.edu/romanots/Tom_Romano.html

2. Research Design Proposal Template 2
Our Research Plan
Identify which resources (print materials, digital information sources, and databases) seem the
most promising right now.
In addition, identify how you will organize and manage your information as well as your plan for
time management; this discussion should include how you envision using bookmarking tools and
your PLE tool (Symbaloo and Netvibes) for organizing and managing your information as well as
possibly sharing/networking with other learners.
Share with citation management tool you will be using.
If working with a partner, you should also discuss notes about how you and your partner will
share the research and writing responsibilities; if you foresee any challenges to the project, you
may also identify those.
Skills/Learning Standards You Want to Master and How You Will Demonstrate Your Growth and
Mastery of These Skills
Please create a numbered list of the skills you plan to target (see your learning contract menu); include
the AASL skill and write out the skill as it appears in the AASL document. Remember there are 7
required standards plus 3 choice standards you get to choose for a total of 10.
In addition, how do you think you might document your progress in these skills? Do you think you will
do this as you work through your research project (perhaps with regular blog entries—1 blog entry per
standard) or do you see documenting your growth more as a summative of final assessment with a
digital portfolio (Video or VoiceThread)?
Content Creation Tools
Which learning tools do you think you might use for your project?
Final Learning Product
Identify which learning product you plan to create as your culminating final learning product (Digital
Text, Written Text, Multigenre Text and which variation of the mulitgenre text you will do—digital or in
Word---see learning contract) and why you think this medium will be the best way to represent your key
learnings from your inquiry/research experiences.
In addition, please explain if you think at this time if you will use a detailed mindmap or a shaping sheet
to organize your research topics and subtopics. Keep in mind this would be completed in advance of
creating the final learning product and that it will need approval from Ms. Lester and Ms. Hamilton
before you get too far into your research---this task should be completed after we completed our pre-
searching.
Preliminary Bibliography
We will copy and paste this list from your EasyBib or NoodleTools.
Example research proposal from Tom Romano http://www.users.muohio.edu/romanots/Tom_Romano.html